Stuff I Got This Week

For Review:

Midwinterblood - Marcus Sedgwick

Have you ever had the feeling that you've lived another life? Been somewhere that has felt totally familiar, even though you've never been there before, or felt that you know someone well, even though you are meeting them for the first time? It happens. In 2073 on the remote and secretive island of Blessed, where rumour has it that no one ages and no children are born, a visiting journalist, Eric Seven, and a young local woman known as Merle are ritually slain. Their deaths echo a moment ten centuries before, when, in the dark of the moon, a king was slain, tragically torn from his queen. Their souls search to be reunited, and as mother and son, artist and child, forbidden lovers, victims of a vampire they come close to finding what they've lost. In a novel comprising seven parts, each influenced by a moon - the flower moon, the harvest moon, the hunter's moon, the blood moon - this is the story of Eric and Merle whose souls have been searching for each other since their untimely parting.

So that's what I got this week. What did you all get?

Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Books I read in 2012...

Sparks - S.J. Adams

I saw this title on the Rainbow List and loved the title. I didn't love the cover so I thought I'd try it before buying it. It is 100% amazing. 

Adaptation - Malinda Lo

I have read Malinda's other two novels and felt fairly lukewarm about them. This one really was incredible though. Just different and intense.

The False Prince - Jennifer A. Nielsen

A surprising read for me. It was part of Scholastic's Mother-Daughter BookClub. It was just so well-written and I adored the main character.

Battle Royale - Koushun Takami

YES! This book is amazing. 

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

This was such a lovely book. I wish I could cut out the section I didn't like, but even with it I am so in love with this novel.

Transcendence - C.J. Omololu
Very different from Dirty Little Secrets, but amazing. I really enjoyed the time travel in this novel.

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone - Kat Rosenfield
From the cover to the last page I adored this book. A perfect mystery-blend.

This is Not a Test - Courtney Summers
The best zombie novel I've read. Not zombie heavy, just lovely.

Born Wicked - Jessica Spotswood
A very exciting novel about witches, I hope they come back in style, because this was delightful.

The Diviners - Libba Bray
Libba Bray is just brilliant. The setting and the creepiness make me want to read this one again (with the lights on).

Honorable Mention: Chopsticks: a novel - Jessica Anthony & Rodrigo Corral
This book was beautiful. If there is a YA novel more beautiful and heartfelt than this one I want to know about it. So few words, but so much emotion packed into it.

The Broke and the Bookish is a group of college aged and twenty somethings that have an unhealthy obsession with reading and would spend every last penny on books even if it meant skipping a few meals. We are the people  who lurk in the library, buy handbags based on how many books can be stashed in them, and who refer to characters in books as if they are personal friends.

We sought after other bookish college students to share in our love for reading and were brought together by the College Students group on Goodreads that was created in September 2008. Our desire to share great books with each other in and our tendency to be opinionated and passionate about all things book related naturally led to the birth of The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.

Movie Review: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 2.5 stars 
Cover Rating: 5 stars (Absolutely delightful.)
Rating: Rated R
DVD Release Date: October 23, 2012
Run Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Buy it: Amazon

For a summary of this movie, check out my review of the book version here.

So you often find that the movie is not nearly as good as the book. For one reason or another it just doesn't meet expectations. Things get dropped and the can make the movie just plain not as good. What strikes me funny about how bad this movie was is the fact that the author of the novel wrote the screenplay for this. Despite this fact the movie seemed like a loosely based version of the novel. I suppose the movie was more entertaining, the book would probably be more closely similar to a documentary than a blockbuster. It seemed like too many things were changed and dropped though.

Another point that bugged me was Abe's superhuman strength and the disregard for the laws of physics. So many scenes in this movies suspended belief. Why did Abe have to have superpowers in the movie? He didn't in the novel and it was perfect, it made sense. Then to watch the movie it just seemed crazy. Why couldn't Abe have just built up his strength? Why the magical?

I was very disappointed in this movie. Maybe I would have enjoyed it slightly more if I hadn't read the book? Still the physics and superhuman strength bugged me quite a bit. Watch it if you dare.

Review: Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter - Seth Grahame-Smith

Where I got it: From my collection
Rating: 5 stars  
Cover Rating: 4 stars (I wish the back cover and the front matched up better, but besides that this cover rocks.)
Genre: Adult
Publication Date: March 2, 2010
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Page Count: 336 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Everyone knows the story of president Lincoln and the Civil War. Some people know the story of his personal life. No one, until know knew the secrets Lincoln kept. These secrets will change the world as you know it. Vampires were at the heart of the slavery problems in the south, and now you'll be able to read all about the truth.

This novel was fantastic. I loved learning all this information about Lincoln's life, he was an incredible person. If you love history than this will probably be for you. This story isn't weighed down by lots of vampire information. The vampires are peppered throughout the novel and I think it works best that way.

Some may find the book to heavy with historical fact, but I thought it was absolutely splendid. Each page was new (to me) information about Lincoln and his personal life. You can tell a lot of research went into this novel and it makes it that much more perfect.

I loved that this book wasn't heavy with vampirism. There was just enough to make it realistic and entertaining, but it wasn't another vampire love story. Every character in this novel, real or fake, was brought to life.

This is a great historical fiction novel with just enough spice to make things interesting. If you've ever wanted to know more about Abraham Lincoln or are just looking for a great read, check this one out.

First Line:
"I was still bleeding...my hands shaking."

Favorite Line:
"'I tell you,' said Poe, 'some great calamity awaits us.'"

Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Favorite New-To-Me Authors...

This one is a bit tricky, because some of the authors only have one book out, so it's difficult to count them as a favorite. I'm sure these author's won't fail to impress with their sophomore works though. Some of these authors I just hadn't gotten around to yet, but am sure glad I did. 

Michelle Hodkin - Though I am not as big of a fan as some people were with Mara Dyer. I definitely have a place on my list for Michelle and Mara. I really enjoyed the first two books and am dying for the next.

Anna Carey - Eve and Once were two novels I read this year and liked a lot more than I had anticipated. 

Kat Rosenfield - LOVED Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone. Loved, Loved, Loved!

Katherine Longshore - Gilt was a very interesting read and I ended up liking it the best out of all the books I read on the subject of the 4th wife. 

Amanda Grace (a.k.a Mandy Hubbard) - But I Love Him and In Too Deep were both intense interesting reads. I am very eager to read more of these books. 

Jessica Spotswood - Born Wicked was a delightful witchy read and I can not wait for the next!

Jennifer E. Smith - The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight! I dare you not to love this novel. Seriously. I also really enjoyed her Middle Grade novel The Storm Makers.

Emma Carlson Berne - Still Waters was so fantastic. I have Never Let You Go at home now and I can not wait to be chilled again!

Erin Morgenstern - Loved The Night Circus, thrilled for the movie as long as they don't ruin it. 

Jeanne Ryan - I really enjoyed Nerve which was excellent because I hadn't heard anything about it, but it turned out to be fab!

 

The Broke and the Bookish is a group of college aged and twenty somethings that have an unhealthy obsession with reading and would spend every last penny on books even if it meant skipping a few meals. We are the people who lurk in the library, buy handbags based on how many books can be stashed in them, and who refer to characters in books as if they are personal friends.

We sought after other bookish college students to share in our love for reading and were brought together by the College Students group on Goodreads that was created in September 2008. Our desire to share great books with each other in and our tendency to be opinionated and passionate about all things book related naturally led to the birth of The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.

Stuff I Go This Week

For Review:

The Ultra Violets - Sophie Bell

Meet four best friends. They’re not super…yet. 

 IRIS: Visionary, artist, leader--the glitter-glue that holds the group together. 

 CHERI: A girly-girl on platform roller-skates who's never met a rescue puppy she didn’t immediately-and-madly love. 

 SCARLET: Short enough that you won’t see her sneaking up behind you. Freckled enough that you might mistake her for innocent. But look out! She can pants a bully faster than you can say O-M-Jeepers! 

 OPALINE: Loveable, huggable, supershy, sweet as pie…or is she? And introducing 

CANDACE. Not just any babysitter—she's a Teen Genius, thankyouverymuch! What happens when four best friends find themselves splattered with mysterious purple goo during a routine sleepover? Iris, Cheri, Scarlet and Opaline are about to become… THE ULTRA-VIOLETS!

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories Vol. 2 - Joseph Gordon-Levitt & wirrow

Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Looper, 500 Days of Summer) made a big splash with The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories - so now he’s back with volume 2! One of the most ingenious and successful projects to come out of Gordon-Levitt's online creative coalition hitRECord - an international collaboration of artists and writers - The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 2 offers more quirky, delightfully small, ingeniously illustrated haiku-like tales, proving once more that the universe isn’t made of atoms; it’s made of tiny stories. The best things do come in small packages.

Bought:

David's Tea

It smells super delicious, and the few I've already have are really good. 

I bought: A Midsummer's Night Tea, Read My Lips, Mint Chocolate Roobis, Cold 911, The Glow & Peppermint Armour

Review: The Elementals - Francesca Lia Block

Where I got it: From the library
Rating: 4.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 3 stars (It's okay.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: October 16, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Page Count: 261 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Ariel's best friend went on a trip to visit a college in Berkley, she went missing. Now Ariel decides she still has to go to Berkley, because maybe she'll find her friend. Maybe she'll find out what happened to her friend. The only reason her parents let her go, is because her mother develops cancer and they don't want Ariel around.While in Berkley though, Ariel stumbles upon a party at a strange house. The people responsible for the party are slightly bizarre too. Ariel isn't sure what it is about them, but their weirdness seems to only draw her in. Ariel's world is in a thousand pieces and she just wants everything to come together again.

This is the Francesca I know and love. I'm so glad to have her back AND a murder mystery no less. Although that's not quite an accurate description of what this story is about. It's about everything, but it's really about growing up.

I love how un-eloquent the dialogue is, it makes the story realistic. The characters don't always know what to say or the best way to say it. It's raw. I think dialogue is almost the most important part of the story (unless the story doesn't contain dialogue). The way this dialogue is written I felt much closer to the characters, because there was no stiff speech blocking me out of their heads and hearts.

Ariel was a pretty interesting character. I love coming of age tales, because you get to see a lot of growth in a character over a shorter period of time. Ariel is naive and searching when she comes to Berkley and by the end of everything that happens she's a different girl.

Then you have John Graves. He is interesting to the max. Anyone shrouded in mystery is interesting. The little group he belongs to is just completely removed from the norm, but people don't seem to mind. They are super strange and everyone is still drawn to them, including Ariel.

The writing was perfectly lyrical and full of whimsy like a Francesca Lia Block should be. Every paragraph is crafted in a way to lift up your brain to dance in the sky. The story comes to a perfect conclusion, one that seemed to be lurking throughout the whole story. If you are a Francesca Lia Block fan or a fan of lyrical writing definitely check this out. The story is different from what she usually writes (still great) and the writing is beautiful.

First Line:
"Did you cry, did you scream, did you try to run?"

Favorite Line:
"The sky was filled with stars like pieces of broken jewels and the sea below the precipice was like tatters and shreds of dark silk."

Waiting on Wednesday #56

This week I'm waiting on The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepard. It sound fascinating and I'm always up for a re-telling of an old tale with a new twist!

In the darkest places, even love is deadly. 

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true. 

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood. 

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Books I wouldn't mind Santa bringing me...

The Retribution of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

I just need to know. I need to know!!!!

Alice in Zombieland - Gena Showalter

The design of this book is just fantastic. I am not sure how I haven't read it yet, but everything about it is gorgeous. If you have a chance to check out a copy of it, you'll see what I mean.

The Diviners - Libba Bray

If you didn't read my review, I loved it and I need a finished copy of my own.

Embers and Echoes - Karsten Knight

I can't wait to find out what happens next. I enjoyed Wildefire quite a bit.

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone - Kat Rosenfield

This book was amazing and is gorgeous. I borrowed it from the library, but would love to have it in my collection.

Invisibility - Andrea Cremer and David Levithan

Yes!

The Interrupted Tale - Maryrose Wood

I adore these books!

The Madness Underneath - Maureen Johnson

I really loved The Name of the Star and can't wait to dive back into this world.

Scott Pilgrim vol.1 & 2 in color - Bryan Lee O'Malley

I seriously love everything Scott Pilgrim and desperately want these.

The Archived - Victoria Schwab
Loved The Near Witch and Ash-born Boy and need to read this.
 

The Broke and the Bookish is a group of college aged and twenty somethings that have an unhealthy obsession with reading and would spend every last penny on books even if it meant skipping a few meals. We are the people who lurk in the library, buy handbags based on how many books can be stashed in them, and who refer to characters in books as if they are personal friends.

We sought after other bookish college students to share in our love for reading and were brought together by the College Students group on Goodreads that was created in September 2008. Our desire to share great books with each other in and our tendency to be opinionated and passionate about all things book related naturally led to the birth of The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.

Image of the Day: Authors Rock Out for Soho Teen

Article brought to you from Shelf Awareness :)

Soho Press celebrated the impending launch of its Soho Teenimprint in 2013 with a party at Manhattan's Sidewalk Café that featured a performance by editorial director Daniel Ehrenhaft's band Tiger Beat. With fellow YA authors Libba Bray on lead vocals, Natalie Standiford on bass and Barnabas Miller on drums, the quartet ripped through a selection of '70s and '80s tunes, including "Sweet Jane," "Tainted Love" and "Won't Get Fooled Again." Ehrenhaft, Bray and Standiford are among more than 70 authors contributing to one of Soho Teen's first releases, an all-star anthology benefiting 826NYC titled Who Done It?  --Ron Hogan

Review: The Spindlers - Lauren Oliver

Where I got it: Finished copy from publisher for review
Rating: 4.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 4 stars (It's lovely and whimsical.)
Genre: Middle Grade
Publication Date: October 2, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Page Count: 256 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

One day Liza wakes up and her brother isn't her brother. Liza knows that it was the Spindlers that stole his soul. Her parents want to hear none of it though. They tell her to stop telling stories and leave them alone. Liza knows that she's the only one who can save her brother because she seems to be the only one to notice he's gone. Liza grabs a broom (Spindlers hate them) and gets ready to head below. Then she lands on a rat. This rat decides to help Liza find her way to the Spindlers Nest, it can get tricky to find your way in the below. Liza is about to encounter many new sights, some glorious and some completely terrifying. She can't give up though, because her brother need to be saved and it's a job only Liza can do.

Just like with Liesl & Po Lauren Oliver delivered another fantastical middle grade tale. I loved all the puzzles and folklore that she wove in throughout this novel. It was a short book, but the adventure was complete and absorbing.

I loved how as a reader you can never be quite sure whether this is all in Liza's head or not. You are left wondering if she just has a crazy imagination. He rat companion was an interesting touch. I loved the world below with all it's eccentricities. The characters and the world building were just fabulous. Everything was so majestic.

This was a really delightful adventure story and one you should not miss. I think Lauren Oliver just has the best stories in her head and I can not wait to read more of them.

First Line:
"One night when Liza went to bed, Patrick was her chubby, stubby, candy-grubbing and pancake-loving younger brother, who irritated and amused her both, and the next morning, when she woke up, he was not."

Favorite Line:
"The noise made her think of children abandoned in barren places without enough to eat; and open graves; and dark, bleak winter nights when through the thin air came the sounds of cars skidding and crashing of Route 47; and the squeak of a gurney's wheels on a hospital floor."

This is a Middle Grade Monday Post feel free to link your middle grade reviews/news below :) 

(doesn't have to be posted on a Monday)

Teaser Tuesday #72

This week's Teaser Tuesday is from The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver. I have loved Lauren Oliver's books, and so far this one is no disappointment. I really enjoy her middle grade writing.

(page 111)

"Liza squinted. There was a bit of pale light that descended from above—from where, she could not have said, as they must have been miles and miles underground—just enough to make out the enormous silhouettes of the trees, and the ist clinging to them like moss."

Teaser Tuesday is brought to us by Should be Reading. Rules:
1) Grab your current read
2) Open to a random page
3) Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
4) BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
5) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Stuff I Got This Week

From the Library:

The Elementals - Francesca Lia Block

The Elementals is on one level an intriguing coming-of-age novel about a young woman, Ariel Silverman, facing the challenges of her first years away at college in Berkeley, California, while her mother battles cancer at home in Los Angeles. But the book takes on deeper, stranger meanings when we realize that Ariel is haunted by the disappearance of her best friend, Jeni, who vanished without a trace a few years before, closing Ariel's heart and changing her forever. Ariel wonders if she will ever be fully alive, until she meets three mysterious, beautiful and seductive young people living in a strange old house in the Berkeley hills. Through them Ariel will unravel the mystery of her best friend's disappearance and face a chilling choice.

Summer and Bird - Katherine Catmull

When their parents disappear in the middle of the night, young sisters Summer and Bird set off on a quest to find them. A cryptic picture message from their mother leads them to a familiar gate in the woods, but comfortable sights quickly give way to a new world entirely—Down—one inhabited by talking birds and the evil Puppeteer queen. Summer and Bird are quickly separated, and their divided hearts lead them each in a very different direction in the quest to find their parents, vanquish the Puppeteer, lead the birds back to their Green Home, and discover the identity of the true bird queen. 

The Infects - Sean Beaudoin

Seventeen-year-old Nero is stuck in the wilderness with a bunch of other juvenile delinquents on an “Inward Trek.” As if that weren’t bad enough, his counselors have turned into flesh-eating maniacs overnight and are now chowing down on his fellow miscreants. As in any classic monster flick worth its salted popcorn, plentiful carnage sends survivors rabbiting into the woods while the mindless horde of “infects” shambles, moans, and drools behind. Of course, these kids have seen zombie movies. They generate “Zombie Rules” almost as quickly as cheeky remarks, but attitude alone can’t keep the biters back. 

Burn for Burn - Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister. Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay. Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him. Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

That's what I got this week. What did you all get?

Cool Bookish Things You Want

Zipmark Bookmarks You can purchase it here.
tel aviv-based peleg design studio has developed 'zipmark', a bookmark made in the shape of a zipper. the thought process for the creation is influenced by the re-interpretation of 'opening' up a textile bag, into the idea of opening your book. produced using polypropylene, the small page-marker comes in blue, red and green colors specifically conceived to fit most types of book sizes and thicknesses.

From the website:
"Here's a wonderful gift idea for the booklovers! These bookmarks are placed between the pages of a book to mark the reader's place. The creative design featuring words that appear on the fore-edge gives the marking an extra special meaning. The bookmarks come in the following captions: TO BE CONTINUEDBE RIGHT BACK PAUSE GREAT BOOK! YOU ARE HERE"

These are bookmarks that go along with some classics reads. They are pretty much perfect. I would love to see more, like a Cheshire Cat tail or a piece of rye.
You can find out more about them here.

RevIew: The Dead Girls Detective Agency - Suzy Cox

Where I got it: From the library
Rating: 3.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 3.5 stars (It sets the tone of the book nicely.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 355 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Charlotte isn't sure how she ended up in this strange hotel at first, then she meets Nancy, who explains it all. Charlotte is dead—murdered to be exact—and she is stuck in this sort of limbo until she figured out who wanted her dead. The hotel isn't all bad, besides being dead. Nancy and Lorna are pretty nice and totally into helping her solve her murder. Tess isn't quite so charming though and then there is Edison...Charlotte isn't sure what to make of him. So now Charlotte has to spy on the living and figure out what, in her mostly invisible life, would make somebody want to kill her. She'll find out who her true friends are, and who she never really knew all that well.

This was a fun little read. You would think a heavy topic like, a girl's own murder would drag the book down but it didn't. Suzy Cox made a light mystery that had plenty of fun parts amongst the depressing. It was mostly just sad that Charlotte would never get to be human again, but she didn't seem all that upset about it. I don't know if she was the most realistic character, but I appreciate her coming to terms with being dead rather quickly.

The love aspects of this book, and sort of the mystery itself were a bit predictable but the story was still a good read anyways. There were secrets about the other characters that I couldn't figure out and so that was a great reason to keep reading. This book was so light and fun though, I feel like it could easily be a book even for older Middle Grade readers. There were a few skank sort of remarks, but I think they would enjoy the story.

This was a fun little mystery that was never too heavy, but all sorts of fun. I enjoyed the characters, even the less pleasant ones. They seemed like a sort of parody of themselves. Regardless, if you are looking for a light mystery, make sure you check this one out.

First Line:
"Pop Quiz: What would you do if you only had one day left to live?"

Favorite Lines:
"'Hey, as everyone who's had one knows, the 'fun' in 'funeral' is something of a misnomer.'...'Do you just sit around at night coming up with these lines? Waiting for new dead girls to show up so you can try them out?'"

Review: Fathomless - Jackson Pearce

Where I got it: ARC from publisher for review
Rating: 4 stars  
Cover Rating: 3.5 stars (It's okay...I don't love it and I don't hate it. I wish they had stuck with the original themes for these covers. These ones probably appeal to more teens though.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: September 4, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 291 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads
Loose sequel to: Sisters Red and Sweetly

Celia, Anne and Jane are triplets that have powers. Anne can see someone's future, Jane can see their thoughts and Celia, their past. Celia thinks hers is more awkward than useful though. It's hard pretending you don't know things about a person, and how could it help them. People remember their past. Lo doesn't though. Celia isn't sure what Lo is, but she was a haunting dark past that contains a scream like in nightmares. Lo doesn't mind how things are now, but there's a slight pull to remember her past. When a boy falls into the ocean and Lo and Celia both help save him. That's when the connection between the two girls starts. Maybe Celia's power was given to her for just this reason. The only question for Celia is can she trust Lo? For Lo, she has to decide if something so dark is worth remembering.

This story pulled me in almost immediately. I love a good underwater tale. I felt like I should have reread The Little Mermaid before reading this so that I could have seen the similarities and contrasts better. I really enjoyed the character of Lo. Her battles and her mind were just very fascinating. I love when a character needs to sort of rediscover their past.

The thing I really love about these fairytales retellings by Jackson Pearce is the subtle way they are all connected. With each new addition to the collection you get to see a little more of the interconnecting storyline. She gives the reader just another hint at what is going on behind the scenes in each tale.

I didn't really love Celia as a character, and her sisters weren't featured enough to really get a good sense about them. I felt like her sisters faded into a snobby background. Celia was just sort of mildly annoying. I'm not sure what it was about her, but she was just a bit too eager or something like that.

If you want a different kind of fairy tale, or a different kind of mermaid story definitely add this one to your list. I still need to read Sisters Red, but I seriously recommend reading both Sisters red and Sweetly before this one, just so you can see that connection between the stories that is just so intriguing.

First Line:
"There are lights at the surface."

Favorite Line:
"The house, the twilight, the scent of rot mingling with something sweet cooking on the stove."

Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Books You'd Want on a Deserted Island

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll

Probably my favorite book(s) ever. Would definitely need this.

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (series) - Louise Rennison

So maybe it's cheating to add a series, but these I could re-read non-stop for awhile. If I could only pick one book I might just pick the first one...or maybe the longest.

Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

This book was just simply wonderful, and if I'm stuck on in island I want to dream of boys with swoon-worthy accents :)

Beauty Queens - Libba Bray

I'll need a book that show me that things could be worse, but not quite as bad as Lord of the Flies.

Harry Potter (series) - J.K. Rowling

I don't think I really need to explain this one, but if I could only pick one book from the series it might be Prisoner of Azkaban. 

Invincible Summer - Hannah Moskowitz

If this is your first time to my blog, just know that this book = on every one of my lists ever.

Looking for Alaska - John Green

Need a John Green on this list obviously.

The Hunger Games (series) - Suzanne Collins

If I could only take one from the trilogy it might be Mockingjay a lot happens.  Maybe just The Hunger Games though because it was amazing.

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

This book is just wonderfully, magically, amazing.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick

This book is just wonderful.

The Broke and the Bookish is a group of college aged and twenty somethings that have an unhealthy obsession with reading and would spend every last penny on books even if it meant skipping a few meals. We are the people who lurk in the library, buy handbags based on how many books can be stashed in them, and who refer to characters in books as if they are personal friends.

We sought after other bookish college students to share in our love for reading and were brought together by the College Students group on Goodreads that was created in September 2008. Our desire to share great books with each other in and our tendency to be opinionated and passionate about all things book related naturally led to the birth of The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.

Middle Grade News

"Victoria Schwab’s new middle grade series about a mysterious, whimsical young guardian spirit who helps her new friends through difficult, and sometimes dangerous, situations, to Aimee Friedman at Scholastic, in a three-book deal, by Holly Root at Waxman Leavell Literary Agency (world)."

I was super excited to hear about this. I loved The Near Witch and can't wait to see what Victoria has up her sleeve for Middle Grade. You can check out her full post about this book deal here.

Now I'll share some great book trailers I've discovered lately. Enjoy!



This is a Middle Grade Monday Post feel free to link your middle grade reviews/news below :) 

(doesn't have to be posted on a Monday)

Stuff I Got This Week

Bought:

The Evolution of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin signed!

(my review)

The Princess Curse - Merrie Haskell

(Fairytale retelling? Yes!)

Twelve princesses suffer from a puzzling (if silly) curse, and anyone who ends it will win a reward. Reveka, a sharp-witted and irreverent apprentice herbalist, wants that reward. But her investigations lead to deeper mysteries and a daunting choice--will she break the curse at the peril of her own soul?

So that's what I got this week. What did you all get?

Review: Nerve - Jeanne Ryan

Where I got it: ARC from publisher for review
Rating: 4 stars  
Cover Rating: 3.5 stars (It's pretty crazy. I wish there was at least one other color though. )
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: September 13, 2012
Publisher: Dial Books
Page Count: 294 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

A game of truth or dare when the only thing you can pick is dare.
Vee just wants to do something different. She wants to change herself from the quite behind-the-scenes girl, to someone who gets noticed. She wants to be the one that guys fall for. To accomplish this she signs up to do some dares with NERVE. A broadcasted dare game that people all of the country play. The perks are huge. Things you've always wanted by couldn't get on your own. It's pretty easy, make a fool out of yourself in public and then you win prizes. Seems easy enough at first, but the dares quickly get harder and harder for Vee to face completing. Surprisingly though, Vee manages to get through dares and make it to the final round. There though, with the other contestants things get too deep. Some of these people will do anything to win and how far is NERVE willing to push them for a good show? Vee has to quickly find out who she can trust and how she can escape the dares...alive.

So, I had not heard anything about this book when I recieved it in the mail. The cover doesn't really reveal much about the novel either, but the tag line "To survive this game, choosing dare is the only option" certainly had me intrigued. The book starts off a bit randomly, but I was interested from the first page. Then we meet Vee. She starts off as this quiet girl who hides in the shadow of her best friend. It was incredible to see her transformation throughout the novel. It was infuriating to see her not notice the boy who was clearly in love with her though. That's alright though because at least we have another guy for her to fall for. This wasn't a love triangle though, so...YAY!

The game itself is completely crazy, and the people who run it are intense. They know every little thing about you and it's kind of creepy. On top of that, there are Watchers who record your every move for the dares. This is an incredibly neat concept, but also so weird.

This books was completely awesome though and kept you guessing what was around the next corner. I wonder if there might be a sequel to this somewhere in the future, because there are certainly things that could be in a second book. This one was great on it's own though. If you haven't heard much about this one, let me tell you it's worth the read. Pick it up as soon as you can.

First Line:
"It took three days of waiting, but at four a.m. on a Sunday, the street in front of her home finally emptied of all Watchers."

Favorite Line:
"The game has ruined my life and now it wants to soothe my feelings by sounding like some twinkly music from heaven?"